Section 1. Legislative intent.
The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that:
(1) During August 1984, during 1985 and during 1986, tornadoes and flooding occurred in several counties of this Commonwealth, causing substantial damages, in excess of $60,000,000, to private homes, in addition to the damage to businesses, industry and public facilities.
(2) Federal emergency declarations designated certain areas as eligible for emergency relief.
(3) The combination of private insurance and Federal grants and loans for private homeowners and persons renting the homes in which they reside provides insufficient compensation for their losses.
(4) Because many of the victims of these disasters reside in areas which prior to the disaster were economically distressed and because their losses are inadequately covered, it is in the public interest pursuant to section 17 of Article VIII of the Constitution of Pennsylvania to provide additional aid to private homeowners and persons renting the homes in which they reside to supplement the compensation which they receive from private insurance and the Federal Government.
(1 amended July 7, 1986, P.L.402, No.88)